Make Your Point: CONDOLE

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pronounce CONDOLE:

kun DOLE

connect this word to others:

Our word condole is closely related to doleful and its rarer alternate form, dolo____.

Can you recall that one? Like doleful, it means "sad or sorrowful, full of grief or pain," and you might use it to sound poetic, like this: "It's a wintry, melancholic scene made somewhat sadder by the tinkling of some dolo____ piano music" (New York Times).

(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)

definition:

You're probably more familiar with the noun "condolences," meaning "expressions of sympathy," as in "Friends offered their condolences at the funeral." And if you're like me, you've peered inside that word and wondered why we don't use the base form more often: "condole."

Well, we can if we want to! "Condole," with Latin bits that literally mean "to grieve with: to express sadness together," has been around in English since the 1400s, and you'll still see it today, just not often compared to "condolences."

To condole with people is to share their deep sadness after a death or some other heartbreaking event: to grieve along with them, and give them comfort.

grammatical bits:

Part of speech:

Verb, usually the intransitive kind: "They condoled with us;" "He condoled with his cousins after the death of their father."

Sometimes the transitive kind: "She condoled their suffering;" "They condoled the loss of lives in the storm."

Other forms:

The other verb forms are "condoled" and "condoling."

And the more familiar term is the noun, usually in the plural: "The expressed their condolences."

how to use it:

"Condole" is a semi-common word: rare enough to surprise your listeners, common enough to cause no confusion. It's formal and serious, even old-fashioned.

Pick it when you want to talk about people expressing their sympathy for those who've suffered a tragic loss: say that people condole with others who have suffered that loss, or that misfortune. Often we specify that people are condoling with others on, for, or over some particular heartbreak: "She condoled with them on the death of their mother;" "We condoled with them for the loss of their dog;" "Reading A Raisin in the Sun, we condole with the Younger family over their dream deferred."

examples:

"Lukashenko placed red roses at Makei's coffin... before condoling with Makei's family."
— Robyn Dixon, Washington Post, 1 December 2022

"I dispel the black cloud that has hung so long over our heads, that the sunshine of peace may once more descend to warm and gladden us. I wipe the tears from your eyes, and condole with you on the loss of your brethren who have perished in this war."
— Francis Parkman, The Conspiracy of Pontiac and the Indian War after the Conquest of Canada, 1851

has this page helped you understand "condole"?

Awesome, I'm glad it helped!

Thanks for letting me know!
If you have any questions about this term, please message me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.

study it:

Explain the meaning of "condole" without saying "sympathize" or "commiserate."

try it out:

In this version of Aesop's Fables, a fox falls into a well, and a wolf passes by and condoles with him. But doesn't try to rescue him. The author then sermonizes:

"Pity, indeed, is of itself but poor comfort at any time; and, unless it produces something more substantial, is rather impertinently troublesome, than any way agreeable. To stand bemoaning the misfortunes of our friends, without offering some expedient to alleviate them, is only echoing to their grief, and putting them in mind that they are miserable. He is truly my friend who, with a ready presence of mind, supports me; not he who condoles with me upon my ill success, and says he is sorry for my loss."

Talk about what that means, and whether or not you agree. Is the fox falling into the well a fair comparison to situations that prompt us condole with our friends?

before you review, play:

Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.

Our game for April: Word Choice Chuckles!

I'll give you a snippet of text that I spotted in the wild, with a word or phrase removed. See if you can fill one in that'll give the reader a chuckle. (Here are some examples.) Be cheesy. Be punny. Get in there and make me proud.

Try this one today:

"‘It's controversial and polarising': is Disney's new Snow White a _____?"
— Edward Helmore, The Guardian, 15 March 2025

Meaning of the missing term: "toxin."

To see one possible answer, scroll all the way down.

review this word:

1. A near opposite of CONDOLE could be

A. stir the pot.
B. rub salt in a wound.
C. pour oil on troubled waters.

2. You're most likely to condole with a friend over _____.

A. a hilarious meme
B. an awkward mistake
C. a heartbreaking divorce

a final word:

I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love.

I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.

From my blog:
On vocabulary...
  36 ways to study words.
  Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
  How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.
On writing...
How to improve any sentence.
How to motivate our kids to write.
How to stop procrastinating and start writing.
How to bulk up your writing when you have to meet a word count.

From my heart: a profound thanks to the generous patrons, donors, and sponsors that make it possible for me to write these emails. If you'd like to be a patron or a donor, please click here. If you'd like to be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.

A disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.

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